2013 Week 10 NCAA Football Top 25: The Tailgater Poll

Jameis Winston and the Seminoles kept pace at the top of the rankings with a 41-14 dismantling of rival Miami. [Getty Images]

The big game of the weekend took place in Tallahassee, where the rivalry between Florida State and Miami had greater implications than it has in the past decade. The Hurricanes kept it close for a while, but ultimately the Seminoles proved why they’ve been a member of the elite triumvirate of college football this season as they pulled away with a 27-point victory.

The rest of the midweek and Saturday games offered few opportunities for shifting in the polls, though there were a few marquee matchups that provided some room for separation. Only one team dropped out of the rankings altogether, while one team left for dead in September has finally regrouped to start receiving votes once more.

How did all of this affect the poll this week? Before we go any further, here’s how our ballots combined to form the Week 10 poll after the first weekend of November football:

RANK

TEAM

POINTS

LAST WK

1

Alabama (2)

74

1

2

Oregon (1)

73

2

3

Florida State

69

3

4

Ohio State

65

4

5

Baylor

64

5

6

Stanford

60

6

7

Oklahoma

53

8

7

Clemson

53

9

9

Missouri

52

10

10

Auburn

44

10

11

UCF

40

14

12

Fresno State

39

13

12

Wisconsin

39

15

14

Miami (FL)

35

7

14

Michigan State

35

18

16

Northern Illinois

31

16

17

LSU

30

17

18

Oklahoma State

28

19

19

UCLA

19

20

20

Texas A&M

15

21

21

Texas Tech

14

12

21

South Carolina

14

21

23

Louisville

12

23

24

BYU

6

25

25

Arizona State

4

24

25

Houston

4

25

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Texas (3)

The top six teams in the weekly Tailgater poll have remained constant for the past few weeks, as the trinity at the top continue to make vehement cases for their inclusion in the pairing for the final BCS National Championship. Below them, the standings have proven more fluid, with impressions changing weekly.

As we said above, Miami suffered a big defeat on the road, but their seven-spot fall in the polls was not the largest tumble of the weekend. That distinction belongs to Texas Tech, who followed up their first loss of the season against Oklahoma with a second straight defeat to Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders, which had been on the cusp of elite status just a fortnight ago, fell nine spots this week. They at least did not suffer the indignity of Michigan; the Wolverines failed to receive a single vote this week after an ignominious defeat to Michigan State erased them from the Top 25.

That said, you’ve probably got a different opinion than us. With the spirit of contention in mind, you will find our individual ballots below. Leave your personal picks, acrimonious invective, base insults, insulting suggestions, or belligerent rants down in the comments below. You’re also always welcome to hit up any of us on Twitter to offer a piece of your mind…